The Wave of 4.0: Where Do We Stand?
We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but an attitude. In this ever-changing world, change is the only constant. With various technologies integrating into manufacturing and supply chain, industry 4.0 is growing exponentially and has become a revolutionary term across fields. Yet, you might wonder: how to apply industry 4.0 in plastic parts manufacturing?
4.0 & Plastic Injection Molding
Industry 4.0 brings numerous benefits to manufacturing in general. The application makes operation and production more effective, pointing out the areas for improvement.
Let’s talk about how they can apply specifically to plastic injection molding.
Applications
Challenges like cost, equipment failure, complexity controls, shortage of skilled workers, and process variations are not new in the plastic industry. 4.0 offers improved plastic manufacturing solutions along with OEM sustainability to plastic injection companies. Rather than being reactive in 3.0, 4.0 is collective.
In 3.0, while largely automated, it requires human input for the controllers to look for “Why” in the data. Whereas in 4.0, machines operate based on programming sets and analyze the collected data to streamline the production processes. Critical insights such as production rate and root cause failure analysis can help to increase overall performance. 4.0 Enable automation is ideal for repetitive production. This means companies can allocate their resources to ensure time efficiency as well as labor cost-effectiveness.
Lean manufacturing is a production method that works seamlessly with Industry 4.0. It is also closely related to another concept JIT (Just-in-time) manufacturing. By supporting efficiency initiatives at every stage of the molding process, Industry 4.0 helps organizations to save time, money, energy, material resources, and human labor.
Downsides of Industry 4.0
No matter how smart these machines can operate, they have their limits. For plastic parts suppliers, many productions involve customization. Small and custom plastic components require flexibility that is sometimes better off with human labor. Moreover, there is cost. Businesses occasionally fall back because of their large initial investment.
The third downside of Industry 4.0 will be the demand for high-skilled workers (or less need for low-skilled labor). Eventually, the part between the two groups will start to wear thin. The inequality will cause potential job losses. Cyber security is another issue that catches attention: how to mitigate the risk of a data security breach? The increased use of data analytics and machine learning in 4.0 will become an inevitable and ongoing concern in the future.
Conclusion
Before having a stand in Industry 4.0, searching for a cost-effective manufacturer is crucial. For startups seeking to turn their product idea into reality and hoping to find a top-quality and cost-efficient plastic parts supplier, eziSourcing will be your choice. We provide one-stop service, from product development to tooling, injection molding, secondary processing, finished products, and shipping. We offer DFX manufacturing for consumer brands; together, we can build the future and mold the path to excellence.
Ready to talk? Get in touch with us right here.
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